Reviews of the latest and greatest sounds making waves at ELLE

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Jenny is a Friend of Ours
For Acid Tongue, her second solo record, Rilo Kiley front woman Jenny Lewis again channels the sunstruck, faded-denim melancholy of the '70s. But the songs are even stronger this time, with Lewis, backed up by Zooey Deschanel and heavy, fuzzed-out guitars, shedding her coyness and letting her voice deepen and fly into more mysterious, soulful places.

Good Ol' Boys Rule
Kings of Leon are becoming more and more clean-shaven, and the band's fourth record makes a similar declaration of independence from the quartet's trademark shaggy, raucous classic rock. There are no rebel yells on Only by the Night, just seductive songs anchored by Caleb Followill's young-but-wise delivery, which packs a big dose of Southern comfort.

Strap on Your Platforms
"This record is only for broad-minded people who like to dance, make love, and freak the f--k out." This is how Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes describes Skeletal Lamping, his latest record of glammy psychedelia that takes inspiration from T. Rex, ELO, and the Pepper-era Beatles. It has more disco-ball decadence than usual, but each song is a burst of weird, irresistible pop genius.

The Next Lauryn
Jazmine Sullivan is a 21-year-old from Philly who swings deep and wide like Sarah Vaughn, tears it up like Mary J., and emanates the lady-preacher seriousness of Lauryn Hill. If the God that she believes in exists, we hope He gives her a long and storied career and a vast fandom to boot—kicked off by Fearless, her debut, on which she wrote every track.